While last week I warned against the vagaries of Eli Manning, that Bad Eli could rear his ugly head at any moment and sink your fantasy football week. While he didn’t crush your week last week, he was not very transcendent, and you were better suited starting other backend options like Derek Carr. Eli went for 227 yards and two scores (for a respectable 17 fantasy points) and was a back-end option at best. This week, however, it all changes, as Eli’s opponent makes it increasingly difficult for you to think that Bad Eli will rear his head.
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Last week, I warned against Eli’s recent trend, pointing to his run from weeks two through five, wherein he threw for two touchdowns and three interceptions. He was a fantasy football non-factor in that time frame despite his recent run of production. However, in the five games that have followed, (including last week), if you except his game against the Rams, he has been a fantasy marvel.
He has gone for multiple scores all four of his last non-Rams games, and protected the football last week (though he has six interceptions in his last four non-Rams games, which is a godawful statistic). The interceptions remind you that Bad Eli lurks around every corner, and are the reason why he remains a match up play.
Bad Eli is unlikely to show his face this week, as the Giants take on a Cleveland team that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks so far this season. While they shut down road Big Ben (who is surprisingly terrible), they have been on an incredible ineptitude streak.
Prior to last week, the Browns had allowed at least two touchdowns to every quarterback this year but Ryan Fitzpatrick, and three passing touchdowns in six of their last eight games. They have been next-level bad this season, and it is unlikely they will shut down a Giants’ passing attack that has plenty of options at Eli’s disposal.
While Eli Manning was a firm sit last week, his performance in a tough spot has made it four-of-five games where he has had multiple touchdowns and has defied the matchup.
This week he finds himself in one of the best matchups in the league against a Brown’s squad that has been unable to stop quarterbacks from finding the end zone at will. While they shut down Ben Roethlisberger last week, that had more to do with Roethlisberger’s recent road weariness than anything the Browns did.